Barely Holding On
by Aleisha Potter
Summary: George Weasley was a broken man. He had nothing left to live for until she came to him and uttered those three words, "George, I'm pregnant." I own NOTHING! Harry Potter not mine, just the ideas!
1. The End and the Begining

Disclaimer: I own nothing!! If Harry Potter were mine, I would hardly spend my time writing little ditties on the internet:)

Chapter One: The End...and The Begining

George Weasley sat at his desk, in the flat above his once beloved joke shop, staring at the flask that lay before him, its blood red contents swirling ominously within the glass confines. It had been surprisingly easy to purchase such a potion. All he had had to do was take a quick stroll down Knockturn Alley, hand over a few galleons and take the desired flask. No questions had been asked, no eyebrows had been raised. That was one good thing about Knockturn Alley. That had been two weeks ago. He had promptly hidden the vial in a desk drawer and had not taken it out since. He had been waiting for a specific day. Today was that day, his birthday, and_ Fred's_ birthday. Twenty years old, but he felt much older. He felt like he had lived two lifetimes in his short twenty-year existence. Birthdays were suppose to be a time to celebrate life, but what celebration can you have when half of you is gone? How happy can you really be when there is an empty hole inside of you that aches with each passing day? No, today was not a celebration of life. Today would be something else.

A knock on his door caused George to jump. He hurriedly laid the potion back in his desk drawer and tapped it with his wand, locking it. "Come in," he called.

"George?" the youngest Weasley and only girl called out to the darkened room.

"What?" he asked none too politely.

She glanced over at her brother's silhouette before moving cautiously into the flat. "Mum is fixing dinner tonight…everyone is going to be there. I think it would mean a lot to her if you came," she quietly told him.

"No thanks," he answered quickly, without thought and without glancing at her. He had other plans tonight, not that he was going to tell Ginny this.

"George, she's worried about you, we all are! No one is going to force you to talk about Fred if…" she started but was cut off by a flying book aimed at her head.

"Do not say that name to me!" he roared, tears filling his eyes as he grabbed his sister's arm, dragging her towards the door.

"George! Stop! You're hurting me!" she cried, trying desperately to break through his grief. Immediately, he realized what he was doing. He hastily let go of her and watched as she rubbed the bruises that were already starting to show on her upper arm.

"Gin…I…I'm sorry," he apologized as the tears began to fall. Ginny slowly backed up to the door, reaching around behind her back to open it, her eyes never leaving her brother's.

"He wouldn't have wanted you to waste away like this, you know that," she told him quietly before fleeing down the stairs. George slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor, his shoulders slumped in defeat as the sobs that had been building racked his body. His heart burned with grief and shame. He hadn't meant to hurt her, he just couldn't bear to hear _that_ name uttered, it made it all too real. He knew he was hurting his family and he knew what he planned to do would hurt even more, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His pain would end tonight, and that was all _he _really cared about.

He pulled himself up and pushed off the wall, heading back to his desk. He tapped the drawer with his wand and pulled it open. He picked up the blood red flask and stared at it. Yes, tonight the pain would end. Tonight he would be able to run with Fred again, laugh again. Tonight he would be whole again.

Laying the flask atop the many papers strewn on the desktop, he made his way over to the couch in the middle of the room and lay down. He stared up at the ceiling and waited. He would wait until Ron and Verity, who had all but taken over the running of the shop, to close up and head home, then, he would find peace.

Ron glanced up from his final sale to see his sister running down the stairs that led to George's flat above the shop, tears streaming down her face. "Ginny! Wait!" he called out to her, watching her pause in the doorway and look back. He quickly made his way over to her. "What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

"George…he's hurting so bad and I…I just don't know how to help," she told her closest brother. She knew George was going through more than the rest of the family and she knew that he needed help, but how to help was another issue. No one had seemed to find a way through to the stubborn twin. Today was their…_his_ birthday and her mum had gone to so much trouble to get everyone together, hoping to start the healing, but George would not budge. It was going to break their mum's heart, she had no doubt.

"I know, Gin, but there's nothing we can do…we can't force him down out of his flat, he would only resent us. He's going to have to find the strength to come down on his own, and we'll just have to be here for him when he does," he told his sister with a small smile. Ginny just nodded and wiped her eyes before leaving the now quiet shop and heading up Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron where she was suppose to meet their oldest brother, Bill.

Ron sighed as he watched his sister head up the street. He knew George was bad, but he really didn't know what else to do. He had already made the decision not to return to Hogwarts this year, like most of the other's in his class were going to do. He knew that the shop needed help, more help than poor Verity could bring. He knew Fred wouldn't want the shop to fail and close but he knew George was in no mood to do anything. So he had made the decision to take up George's place in the shop, pretty much taking over and running it with the help of the young woman, who was, at the moment, stocking the shelves and cleaning up before closing. He glanced at the clock above the counter and was surprised to see the late hour. He was closing at six today, so he could make it to the Burrow in time for the dinner his mother had so meticulously prepared. It was five to, and he hadn't even realized the time. He walked over to the door to turn over their Open sign when the door swung open.

"Ahh!" the newcomer gasped, not ready to run headlong into anyone.

"Sorry!" Ron quickly backed up, giving the girl some space. "Katie, what are you doing here?" he asked, putting a smile on so as not to sound rude.

"Oh! Ron, you scared me. Actually, I was…umm…actually…" she took a breath, "I was looking for Angelina…have you seen her?" she asked, glancing up at the youngest Weasley boy.

"No…I didn't even know she was in London," he told the brunette ex-Gryffindor.

"She's been staying with me…didn't you hear about her dad? He was killed during…well…during the Battle, towards the end when the rush from Hogsmeade came," she told him, a dark cloud entering her eyes at the mention of that last horrific scene.

"Oh, I didn't know," Ron muttered feeling shamed that he hadn't really taken a close look at the others who had lost their lives that day…only noticing those who had been close to him and his family.

"It's okay, Ron. You lost family and close friends, no one would expect you to remember someone whose name you didn't even know," she said quickly, to make up for causing him pain. The red head gave a small smile.

"Listen, I'm closing up here, but if I see her, I will let her know that you are looking for her, okay?" he told her.

"Sure, thanks," Katie said as she turned to leave. "Oh, and if you talk to George…tell him…tell him I'm so sorry and…well…just tell him to take care," she said, closing the door behind her.

Ron glanced at the closed door for a moment, lost again in memories before giving his head a firm shake and turning the sign to "Closed". He slowly made his way up the stairs to his brother's flat, attempting one more time to talk him into joining the family for dinner. He gently knocked on the door, but received no response. "George," he called quietly, still nothing. Finally giving up, he spoke quickly through the closed door, "If you change your mind, you know where we are…think about it, okay?" he called before heading back down to the shop. He glanced around, noting that Verity had already left, before heading out to the back alley and disapparting to the Burrow.

George had heard Ron calling him from the other side of the door, but he didn't really feel like another Weasley confrontation, so he had ignored him. After a few moments he heard the telltale _Pop!_ of someone disapparating. He knew he was alone now. Quietly getting up, he made his way over to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment. His hands were shaking as he dipped his quill into his inkwell; this was going to be harder than he thought. Slowly he began. "_Dear Mum and Dad,"_ he started to write, as the tears began to fall again.

Angelina Johnson glanced up once more at the full moon. It was a cloudy night and the moon had broken through for only a moment, casting an eerie glow on the empty road ahead of her. She had been wondering around for almost two hours, with no destination in mind, when she found herself standing in front of number 93, Diagon Alley, Fred and George's joke shop. Overhead, the moon disappeared again as the rain broke through, immediately coming in torrents, drenching her instantly. She sobbed as she glanced up at the purple You-No-Poo signs adorning the large windows. She remembered Fred's laughing face as he told her about his latest idea, he had pulled her close and offered her a "night to remember" if she would be brave and test it for them. They had wanted to know how it would affect a female. She had agreed and he had held up to his end of the bargain. She would always remember that night. It was the first of many. She would also always remember their last, the night before the Battle of Hogwarts. They were scared and unsure and had fallen into each other, hoping to get lost in one another's arms, hoping to forget the future and what the coming days might bring. It was the last time he had held her like that. She had seen him again, for a moment in the Room of Requirement before they had split up to go to battle. The next time she had seen him, an eerie smile was frozen forever on his face as he lay quietly beside the other fallen in the Great Hall. That picture of total peace on his face would probably be how she would always remember him.

Eight weeks later she would find herself sobbing on Katie Bell's doorstep on a clear, cool night, much different from tonight. She had been to the medi-witch at St. Mungo's and could deny the truth no longer. She was pregnant, pregnant with Fred Weasley's baby, pregnant and alone. Katie had taken her in, and given her the spare room that had once been her older sister's. She had helped her through the next agonizing weeks.

Tonight Angelina knew she should feel guilty for running off and not telling Katie where she had gone, but she needed to be alone. Today was Fred's birthday and her grief could not be staunched. She slid her hand down to her slightly firm abdomen, the only sign of the fragile life she carried inside her. She really hadn't meant to come here tonight, but she had none-the-less found herself standing outside the joke shop, soaked to the bone and shivering. Without thinking, she tapped her wand on the call knob that would alert George to her presence, assuming he was even here.

George finished his letter, signed and folded it. He picked up his flask and stared at it for a moment, his eyes dry. He slowly reached for the cork in the top when a chime sounded behind him. He glanced at the door, knowing that the chime meant someone was standing outside in the torrential downpour wanting to speak to him. He turned back to his potion, but an inkling inside him was pushing him towards the door. He put down the potion and walked over to the door of his flat. Beside it was a mirror. He took out his wand and placed the tip at the top of the mirror and muttered, "_Revelo"_. To his surprise, he recognized the small figure of Angelina Johnson huddled under the small awning over the door to the shop. For some reason, he was pulled to the shaking figure. Putting his wand in his pocket, he started down the stairs. He made his way through the dark shop and opened the door.

"Angelina, what are you doing here?" he asked, a little harsher than he meant to. He watched the poor girl's eyes stray up to his and he noticed fear in them. He felt his heart, which he thought was dead, stir at the need in her chocolate depths. Then she spoke. The words that fell from her lips caused his world to tilt and his reality spin.

"George…I…I'm…p-pregnant," she whispered, shivering, and then she passed out.

A/N: Please, Please, Review!! It is the only payment we lowly fanfic writers get!!! Oh, and I really, REALLY need a beta, mine has mananged to go AWOL, so if anyone is interested, please, PM me!! Or OWL me if you happen to be a FA account holder.


	2. Telling Mrs Weasley

Chapter Two: Telling Mrs. Weasley

"George, I…I'm…p-pregnant," the young woman whispered before collapsing before him. Without hesitating, he quickly reached out and caught her before she could hit the ground. Gently hoisting her up into his arms, he carried her back through the shop and up the stairs to his flat. He wasn't thinking, only running on instinct. That one word softly being repeated over and over again, a mantra running through his brain. _Pregnant._ He could hardly believe his ears. She was pregnant. He didn't have to ask to know that the baby was Fred's. He knew how close they had been. His heart fluttered a little at that thought. A piece of Fred was still here. He hadn't lost him completely.

Once he got to the upstairs flat, he gently sat her down on his couch before rushing to the bathroom for a couple of dry towels. He noticed how soaked her clothes were and knew he needed to get them off, but was hesitant to strip the poor girl. Pulling out his wand he pointed it at the prone form on the couch and whispered, "Enervate." Slowly her eyes opened. "Angelina, you need to get out of those wet clothes," he calmly told her while handing her the towels. "I can loan you some pajama pants and an old t-shirt of mine if you would like," he offered. She merely nodded, not trusting her voice. George quickly walked to his room and returned a moment later holding a pair of green plaid pants and an old Holyhead Harpies t-shirt Ginny had given him years before for Christmas. He had never really wanted to wear it, but couldn't tell his sister that. Angelina took the clothes with a whispered, "Thank you." He led her to the bathroom so she could change, and then proceeded to the kitchen to start brewing some tea. He had a feeling they were both going to need it.

Five minutes later, a much dryer Angelina emerged from the hallway, looking a little calmer, but still rather peaky. George steered her over to the couch, offering her a cup of tea in the process. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She gave a wry laugh, "Oh, just peachy," she told him sarcastically before burying her face in her hands and sobbing again. "Damn hormones," she muttered into her hands.

"How long have you known?" he asked quietly, unsure how to comfort the distraught woman before him.

"A few weeks now," she told him, sniffling slightly. George immediately handed her a tissue. "Thanks," she said with a watery smile aimed at him before blowing her nose. "I didn't know what to do or who to tell. I've been staying with Katie since she is all alone right now," she told him, her tears subsiding for the moment. George put his hand on her back and started gently rubbing circles. "I am so sorry to barge in like this. I didn't really plan on unloading all this on you," she quickly apologized.

"Ang, it's okay, really," he calmly assured her. For some reason her presence wasn't as alarming as everyone else's had been. Instead of feeling the insane need to run and hide, he felt a strange pull towards the heartbroken woman before him. Ignoring those thoughts for the moment, he quickly pushed his mind toward assuring himself that the woman, and child, before him were okay. "Are you okay? Are you feeling sick? Have you been to a Healer?" his jumbled thoughts fell from his lips in a series of question. For a moment Angelina looked shocked, then her face broke into a sad smile.

"Yes I am okay, yes I feel sick, and yes I have been to a Healer," she told him. "You are worse than Katie," she added as an after thought. This made him smile. His muscles protested a little and he realized how long it had been since he had been able to smile. His poor face was out of practice.

"You shouldn't be out in the rain, you could make yourself sick," he scolded. "You are staying here tonight," he ordered, leaving no room for argument. He couldn't shake the feeling or explain it, but he_needed_ her here. He _needed _to protect her and his brother's precious baby. The baby that would never know his, or her, father. That thought broke his heart.

"George, I couldn't, I've intruded enough already," she objected.

"No, please, Ang, stay," he said quietly. She looked deep into his eyes, searching for something, then nodded.

"Okay, but just for tonight, I'll be out of here in the morning," she told him. He nodded then left to get some clean linen for her. Taking out his wand he transfigured the couch into a cozy twin size bed. "Thank you," she whispered before rising up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"You're welcome," he replied before heading to his own room to get some sleep, his potion forgotten on the desktop next to the letter to his parents.

George was awakened by the sound of running water. Glancing at the alarm clock next to his bed he noticed it was half past one in the morning. Slightly alarmed, he carefully extracted himself from his bedding and made his way down the short hallway to the bathroom. Gently tapping on the door he called out, "Angelina?" When she didn't respond, he inched the door open. He could hear muffled sobs coming from the shower. "Angelina?" he tried again. When she failed to answer the second time, he pushed the door all the way open. The first thing he noticed was the lack of steam. The room felt deathly cold. He took two large steps and jerked open the shower curtain without thinking. There he found Angelina huddled in the bathtub, an icy cold shower of water falling over her as she hugged her knees for dear life, sobbing so hard it sent daggers into his heart. "Ang!" he called out, not caring that she sat in front of him completely nude. She continued to sob, not acknowledging George in any way. He quickly turned off the water. She was shivering uncontrollably. Without thinking, he grabbed his robe off of the back of the door, throwing it around her shoulders and picking her up. She hardly weighed anything and he wondered if she had been eating properly. He carried her ever so carefully back to his room and laid her down in his bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin. Glancing around, he found his wand and performed a drying spell on her unbound hair before climbing onto the bed on top of the covers and lying down beside her. She rolled onto her side and clung to him, sobbing still. He ran his hands over her arms, attempting to warm her and stop the uncontrollable shaking.

"_Fred!"_ she sobbed, his heart breaking at the raw pain contained in that one word.

"Shh…" he consoled her as best he could. "It's going to be okay. I'm here, Katie's here for you, my mum is here. We'll help you through this," he murmured words of comfort to her. As her sobs quieted down and the shaking slowly stopped he realized exactly what he had been saying. _Yes, _he thought, _everything _is_going to be okay._ It had taken something so drastic as Angelina's unplanned pregnancy to make him see what everyone had been trying to tell him. Yes, Fred was gone, but that didn't mean there was nothing left to live for. Angelina couldn't go through this alone. He didn't want Fred's baby to grow up without anyone to tell him, or her, all about their father. Someone would have to teach them the finer points of pranking. Somebody would have to show them all the secret passages of Hogwarts. Somebody would need to tell him or her all about Fred Weasley, and who better to do that than him? Who knew Fred better than he did? No one. His heart felt lighter than it had in months as he watched Angelina fall into a fitful sleep. He knew what he was going to do first thing in the morning. He was going to pour that potion down the sink, then burn that letter. Sighing deeply against his pillow, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

True to his word, the very first thing George did upon waking was take his blood red potion and dump it down the drain, then use his wand to light fire to the letter. Then he turned his attention to breakfast. He felt responsible for Angelina now and he wanted to make sure she was well fed and taken care of. Immediately he set to cooking anything and everything he could think of. He was determined to fix a breakfast his mother would be proud of.

He was just pulling the last of the bacon from the frying pan when a blurry-eyed Angelina walked into the kitchen. "George? What are you doing?" she asked in a confused voice.

"I was making breakfast," he told her proudly. "And before you ask, yes, it is eatable," he added with a smirk. He noticed her surprised look.

"Thank you," she said before carefully taking a seat across from him. She picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled on the end of it before turning to look at him again. "George…I…I want to thank you for last night, and I want to apologize. I don't know what came over me. Every now and then I just…I don't know, I guess I just lose it. I couldn't sleep and I only meant to take a warm shower, and then go back to bed. I…" she seemed at a loss for anything else to say.

"Ang, it's okay. Anyone who has been through what you have been through is allowed to 'snap' every now and then," he told her with a sad smile. He was finding that his smiles came easier and easier with a little practice.

"Just the same, I wanted to say I'm sorry and thank you," she told him while picking at the sausages he placed on her plate.

Trying to change the subject, he quickly asked her, "Would you like to borrow my owl to send Katie a message? I wouldn't want her to worry."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I completely forgot! Yes, please, before she goes ballistic." George walked over to his desk and took out some parchment and a quill and handed it to her. He watched as she quickly penned a short note, then folded it up and tied it to his tawny owl Hera. He took the bird and opened a window before allowing her to fly free. Then he turned once more to the dark haired woman sitting at his table.

"I've been thinking," he started slowly. "Maybe we should go see my mum," he told her. "I think you should tell her your news," he continued slowly, in case she should decide to squelch his train of thought. "I think she would like to know, but only if you are ready," he added quickly. Angelina seemed to ponder his comments for a moment.

"Will you go with me?" she asked timidly.

"Of course. I will be right there by your side," he assured her.

"Okay," she agreed after a moments pause. He gave her an encouraging smile.

"She's not that bad," he told her jokingly and was pleased to see a small smile grace her sad face.

"I know," she said as the smile broke through, lighting up her whole face.

They both finished their breakfasts in near silence. After he had cleared away the table and cleaned their dishes, he made his way into the main room of the flat. Angelina had already transfigured the bed back into a couch and had changed into her now dry robes from the day before. "I'll just be a minute," he told her before disappearing into his room. He quickly dug out a pair of clean trousers and a plain white button down shirt. He grabbed a pair of everyday black robes and threw them on over before heading back out into the main room. "Ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I will be, I guess," she answered with a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"We are going to Floo since I don't know if apparating in your condition is a good idea," he told her while holding out a tin full of powder.

"Okay," she said with a slight tremor to her voice.

"Hey, it's okay. I promise," he told her while taking a pinch of powder and throwing it into the fireplace. He pushed her towards the green flames very gingerly.

"The Burrow!" she called out before disappearing amidst a rush of flame. George quickly repeated the process and found himself standing beside a shaking Angelina in the cozy kitchen of his childhood home.

"Angelina?" he asked as he glanced at her. She looked a little green around the gills and he wasn't completely sure she wasn't about to pass out again.

"I…I'm okay, I just need a moment," she told him while taking a few deep breaths.

"Okay," he said while placing a supporting hand on the small of her back. "Mum!" he called out, wondering for a moment if his parents were even here.

"George!?" his mum cried out as she ran in from the living room. "Oh George! It's so good to see you! Oh, we were so worried! How are you? Have you been eating? I bet you are famished! Here, sit, let me get something going for you!" she rambled on, fussing over her son before she noticed the quiet figure standing slightly behind him. "Angelina?" she asked, surprised.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley. I hope you don't mind me coming in unannounced like this?" she asked with a small quiver in her voice.

"Oh! Of course not dear!! You look absolutely exhausted. Here, sit, I am going to feed both of you poor dears," she bustled them into seats at the table and set off for the pantry.

"Mum, it's okay, we've already eaten. We actually just came to talk, if you have a few minutes," he said, stopping his mother's fierce search through the food pantry.

"Oh," she said, sounding rather put out. "Of course, come into the living room where we can be more comfortable. I'm afraid your father is at the Ministry at the moment," she called over her shoulder as she left the kitchen.

"George!" Angelina whispered frantically. "I…I don't think I can do this…please, can you tell her?" she asked him with an edge of panic in her voice. George just nodded before taking her hand and following his mother out of the kitchen.

The three of them took seats in the small living room that had been the scene of so many wonderful Weasley family memories. George's heart ached to think how different Christmas and birthdays would be now, with one of their numbers gone. He carefully pushed those thoughts away as he focused on his mother.

"Mum, there's something that you should know," he started without preamble. He felt Angelina's hand clench his. "I don't really know how to ease into this, so I'll just say it." He took a deep breath and squeezed the trembling woman's hand. "Angelina's pregnant, Mum," he told her quickly. There was total silence. You could have heard a pin drop. "Mum?" he asked cautiously.

"Oh dear!" she cried before wrapping her arms around Angelina. She pulled back and held the frightened girl at arms length. "How far along are you?" she asked.

"Th-Thirteen weeks," she whispered.

"Congratulations dear! Oh, George, you are going to be a father! How exciting!" she cried, throwing her arms around her son.

"No! Mum, you don't understand," he cried, pushing his mother back. "It's not mine, it's…it's Fred's," he told her, his voice catching on his twin's name.

"Oh," his mum said, her eye's widening. "Oh, dear, I am so sorry," she murmured, her face turning scarlet at the mistake she had made. She then leaned forward again and engulfed Angelina in a famous Molly Weasley bear hug. George could see tears welling up in his friend's eyes as she clung to his mother. He could see his mother's shoulders start to shake and he knew she was crying, too. He gently leaned over and put one arm around Angelina and the other around his mum. Together the three of them cried, clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. Which in a way, maybe they did. George realized then the pain he must have been putting his mother through. He felt shamed by his selfish actions over the last couple of months. He vowed never to cause his mother that kind of pain again. He needed her and she needed him to start the healing.

After several minutes of pained silence, Angelina spoke, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley, we should have been more careful," she said while silent tears ran down her face.

"Oh, dear! Don't say that. I'm not sorry, not one bit. You and Fred have done something wonderful! You have created a life and now, well, now there is a small part of him left in this world. This baby is his gift to you," she told the young woman. Angelina leaned forward, engulfing his mother in another hug as the sobs returned tenfold. George watched his mother gently rock Angelina until the poor thing fell asleep, dried tears marking her beautiful face. He helped his mother lay her on the couch, then ran to the hall cupboard and grabbed an old afghan to cover her with. He watched her sleep for a moment before walking with his mother into the kitchen to help her start lunch.


	3. Let's go, home

Chapter Three: Let's Go…Home.

George followed his mother into the kitchen. "Thanks, Mum," he told her as she began to pull out bread and cheese from the pantry.

"Oh, George, you have nothing to thank me for," she told him with a pat. "That poor girl," she murmured as she began to peel potatoes. "I can't even imagine what she is going through," she whispered sadly. George glanced at his mother to see a tear roll down her face. He quickly made his way over to her and engulfed her in a hug.

"Mum, I am _so_ sorry. I shouldn't have stayed away so long," he spoke into her hair.

"Oh, George! I was so afraid I would lose you, too!" she sobbed into his chest. "I couldn't bear it!"

George held onto her harder at those words. He was ashamed of his behavior. He wished he could take everything back, that he could be there for her everyday since Fred's funeral, not locked away in his flat planning his suicide. "I'm here now, Mum, I swear," he told her with tears in his eyes. They pulled apart to find Ginny leaning against the door jam. "Gin," he greeted his sister with a sheepish smile, remembering his behavior the day before.

"About time, George," she told him with a smile, running over to throw her arms around him. "I missed you," she told him. He pulled back to get a good look at her. The first thing he noticed was how pale she was. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. The usual dark brown depths were lifeless and dull. He felt his heart go out to her.

"Ginny, what's wrong," he asked, concern filling his voice.

"Nothing," she assured him, not meeting his eyes. He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face.

"Gin, I am so sorry for the way I treated you yesterday. I…I wasn't myself," he apologized, silently praying for her forgiveness.

"George, it's okay, really, I forgive you," she told him earnestly. He gave a small smile before engulfing her in another hug. Ginny gently pulled away before going over to her mother to help with lunch.

"Ginny, dear, could you please pull an extra chicken out of the cooler? We have a guest for lunch and I want to make sure there is enough food," his mother asked her daughter.

Ginny quickly whipped her head around. "A guest!? Really?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Who?" she asked, unable to hide the hope in her eyes.

"Angelina Johnson," she told her youngest. George watched as the light in his sister's eyes burned out.

"Oh," she muttered before going about the task her mother had given her.

George pondered his sister's actions for a moment. He knew something was wrong, something besides his abandonment, but he couldn't tell what. Giving up his musings for the moment, he walked over to the table to sit down by his mother. "Mum, I was thinking about asking Angelina to stay with me. I mean, I know Katie has to be getting back to her Quidditch team and I don't want her to be alone," he rambled on, coming up with any excuse to give his mother so she wouldn't see the real reason for his suggestion. His mother just gave him a knowing smile.

"I think that is a marvelous idea. I'm sure she could use your support right now," she told her son, smiling to herself. "Now, why don't you go rest in the living room and allow us girls to finish up in here," she suggested.

"Okay," he agreed, giving mother and daughter a chance to talk.

Angelina awoke from her dream feeling comfortable and at peace, a much different feeling than she was used to. She glanced around at her surroundings for a moment before remembering exactly where she was. Slowly it all came back to her. She remembered she had come with George to the Burrow to tell Mrs. Weasley the news. Her heart ached at the reminders of Fred that were strewn throughout this house. She slowly brought her hand down to rest on her stomach and thought of the life growing in there. The little piece of the man she loved. She was through her first trimester and the medi-witch told her the morning sickness and tiredness should be dissipating. _Thank the gods for small favors._ No sooner had that thought crossed her mind when her stomach gave a hard roll. Jumping up from the couch she sprinted to the loo. Dropping to her knees before the toilette, she began heaving. It only took a minute for her to empty her stomach completely. When she glanced up, she noticed George standing behind her holding a damp face cloth.

"Here," he offered, holding it out for her.

"Thank you," she murmured, taking the cloth and patting her flushed face with it. Flushing the toilette, she went to the sink to wash her face. George used his wand to conjure a toothbrush and handed it to her. She smiled at the thoughtfulness of the young man standing before her. She was very grateful for everything he had done in the last two days. She knew this wasn't easy for him, but he hadn't once complained. He had done everything he could to make things easier for her. She would have to find a way to repay him.

"Angelina, are you okay?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on her back.

"Yes, I'm okay. The morning sickness is going away and it only gets to me every now and then," she told him honestly. He gave a small smile.

"If you're feeling up to it, I'd like to talk to you about something," he told her, leading her out into the living room again.

"Okay," she told him, wondering what he had to say.

George had been worried when he had seen Angelina run down the hall like a bat out of hell and had been even more worried when he had found her on the floor of the loo, heaving into the toilette. He vaguely remembered his mum being sick all the time when she had been pregnant with Ginny and he hoped she wouldn't have to go through that. He was glad to hear that the sickness should be going away. He hated to throw up and he assumed Angelina probably wasn't too fond of it either, but then again, who could be?

George led Angelina back into the living room and sat next to her on the sofa. He wanted to talk to her about staying with him at his flat, but was afraid of how she would respond. Taking a deep breath, he gently took her hand in his. "Ang, what are you going to do now?" he asked. He wanted to make sure she didn't have any plans before throwing out his suggestion.

"Honestly, George, I don't know," she told him with a small frown. "Katie is a reserve Chaser for Puddlemere, and she has to leave later this month when the team resumes. She said I could stay at her flat for as long as I needed to, but…well, I don't want to be alone," she finished in a whisper.

"What would you think about staying with me?" he asked in a rush. He was afraid he would lose his nerve if he waited any longer. He quickly looked up to judge her reaction. She looked stunned, then thoughtful.

"That's really sweet of you to offer, but I couldn't. I have been too much of a bother already," she told him hesitantly.

"Nonsense! You are not a bother," he told her vehemently. "I would…I would really like it if you would come and stay. It gets downright depressing being there by myself," he told her truthfully. She pondered his admission for a moment before smiling slightly.

"Okay, George, but only until I can find a place of my own, and I want to pay you," she told him.

"You don't have to pay me," he told her, surprised at her words.

"I want to earn my keep," she told him, refusing to budge.

"Okay, how about this: you can do the cooking. I suck," he admitted with a smirk and a wink. Angelina laughed at his admission.

"Okay, I will cook, but I'm not very good at cleaning, you may wish you hadn't offered after a week," she told him, laughing at his expression.

"Who ever told you I was a neat freak and would care about a clean house?" he asked in mock outrage.

"Okay, so maybe we're perfect room mates," she said with a laugh. "Seriously, George, you don't have to do this," she said as her smile faded slightly.

"I know, but I want to. Fred…Fred loved you and I know he would want the best for you. He would want someone to take care of you and help you," he told her, his gaze going down to her stomach. "That…that is all I have left of him, please, let me do this for you, for both of you," he begged, his voice breaking.

Angelina wrapped her arms around him, tears blurring her vision. "Okay," she agreed as the tears spilled over onto her face. She held onto him as the sobs came, her entire body shaking until it hurt. His voice was gentle and soothing. His hands drew slow circles on her back. Slowly the tears stopped. She gently pulled back to see that he had been crying, too. Maybe this would work out. Maybe they would be good for each other. "Thank you, for everything," she told him. They sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes more before Mrs. Weasley's voice called from the kitchen.

"Lunch is ready! George, your father is home, come into the kitchen!" she called. George and Angelina slowly made their way into the family kitchen and sat down at the large table, covered in food.

George looked up at his father as he walked in. "Hello, Dad," he greeted.

"George! It is so good to see you, son. Tell me, how are you doing?" his father greeted with a warm smile and a firm hug.

"I've been better, but I'll be okay," he answered honestly. "Has Mum told you the news?" he asked with a glance at Angelina.

"Yes, she has," he answered then turned to the dark haired woman sitting at the table. "Congratulations, my dear. I'm sure Molly has already told you this, but if there is anything, anything at all, that we can do for you, please, don't hesitate to ask," he said as he placed a gentle hand on her back.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Angelina replied, giving him a slight smile.

"Please, call me Arthur, you are practically family now," he insisted.

"And please call me Molly, dear," his mother added.

"Well, thank you, Arthur, and you, Molly," she said with only a slight hesitation.

"Now, let's eat. Ginny, pass the pumpkin juice please," his mother said as she began to scoop potatoes onto her plate.

"By the way, you can call me Ginny," his sister added with a smirk. George watched as Angelina broke into laughter.

"Or you could call her 'runt'. That's what we always called her," a voice spoke from the doorway.

"Ron! Come in, come in. We were just starting, grab a plate!" his mother said while waving the youngest boy in.

"Sorry, Mum, I can't stay. I'm helping Harry watch Teddy today; I just needed to grab a change of clothes. George, it's good to see you. Oh! Angelina, Katie was looking for you yesterday, I promised to tell you if I saw you," he said in a hurry before running upstairs to his room.

"That boy, always a whirlwind," his mother muttered. George smiled then looked at Ginny to share a laugh about the "runt" comment. Immediately he noticed something was wrong. His sister had a haunted look on her face. She was staring at her plate but hadn't touched a thing.

Ron came back down rather quickly. He stopped for a moment by the table. "George, it really is good to see you out of your flat. You should come down to the shop some time. I bet it would really cheer you up," he told his brother sincerely. "I'm sorry I can't stay, Mum. I'll come by again after dinner, okay?" he told his mother.

"That sounds wonderful, Ron. Why don't you try to bring Harry," she suggested, glancing briefly at Ginny.

Ron looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I'll mention it, but you know how he is…always busy and stuff…but, you know, I'll see what I can do," he stumbled over his words. "Anyway, take care, you lot," he nodded again at George, kissed his mother on the cheek and gave his father a quick one armed hug before heading out the door. Before the door could close all the way, Ginny had jumped up and followed Ron out.

"What was that all about?" George couldn't help but ask. He noticed his mother looked uncomfortable.

"Well, there's been a bit of a problem with Harry," his mother began. She placed her fork back on the table and took a sip of tea before continuing. "He's been avoiding us. He won't speak to Ginny, he won't visit the Burrow, Ron says he is feeling guilty about…about Fred. He's been hiding out at Andromeda's, helping with little Teddy," his mother told him.

"Oh…well, he shouldn't feel that way. Fred…Fred knew what he was getting into. He knew the risks, we all did," George told his mother quietly.

"Oh, dear, I know, but getting Harry to understand that is another story," his mother sighed as Ginny came back in. George could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red and her face was splotchy. She continued on past the table, then up the stairs heading, no doubt, for her room. His heart went out to his little sister. Someone would need to talk some sense into that boy. Then the thought came to him. Maybe _he_ should talk to Harry. He was, after all, the closest to Fred. If he proved he didn't blame him, maybe Harry would be able to let it go and return to the family that loved him. With that settled, he turned back to his lunch.

"Excellent, as always, Mum," he complimented the lunch with a smile, feeling more at peace than he had since that horrible day in May.

After lunch, George could see that Angelina was exhausted. "Mum, I think we are going to head back. She could use a nap," he told his mother.

"Oh, okay," his mother answered, sounding disappointed.

"Don't worry, we'll come back soon," he promised before walking over to stand beside his dark skinned friend. "Are you ready to go…" he paused for a moment; "home?" he finished.

She gave a small smile. "Yes, I am," she answered.

A/N: Well, tell me what you think. I love reviews, they make it worthwhile, after all, that is the only payment we get…I am currently beta-less, so if anyone is interested, let me know!!! Thanks!


	4. Life at 93 Diagon Alley

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to get out but I had another idea insert itself into my head and I couldn't concentrate on this until I wrote the other story. It is a short one-shot that I hope to get out there in a couple days. Well, here it is, Chapter Four. I want to thank my beta, Creative Touch for all the work I'm sure she will have to put in to keep me on my toes.  I also want to thank one of my best friends, Mizco (try her fics if you like Robin Hood, they are fun!!) for keeping me on track and always taking the time to listen to my ideas and being kind enough not to laugh! As always, I adore Reviews..in fact I thrive on them!!! Again, I want to say: I am SORRY! The twins birthdays are in April according to canon, well, I don't want to rewrite the entire story to change the time-line when so many things are suppose to happen that just wouldn't make sense if they happened eight months later, so, please, just consider it AU in which the twins were born at the end of August.

Chapter Four: Life at #93 Diagon Alley

George awoke early on Monday morning. He sighed and glanced at the rising sun out his bedroom window. He had made a promise to himself two nights ago and now he was going to keep it. He was going down into the shop today to help Ron out. They were steadily getting busier and busier as the school year approached. His brother and Verity had been busting their arses for the last week and he knew they needed help. He also knew he had been avoiding his beloved shop for far too long.

George slowly made his way down the hall to the flat's single bathroom only to find Angelina had beat him to it. _That's it, I am adding another loo,_ he thought to himself. Since the former Gryffindor had moved into the flat, he had seriously regretted his and Fred's decision to forgo the second bathroom. He had had no idea at the time that he would ever have to share the flat with a pregnant woman. Now, he was quickly changing his mind. That woman spent more than half her time in the bathroom. Of course, he had learned his lesson the first time he made a small comment about it. He hadn't meant to be mean, he only pointed out that she made quite a few "bathroom runs" during the course of the day. He would never make that mistake again. _"You try holding your piss with a baby sitting on your bladder!" _she had yelled at him. Nope, not making that mistake again.

George gently tapped on the door. "Ang, are you okay?" he asked timidly.

"Yeah, just give me a second and I'll be out," she called back.

"Okay," he answered before heading towards the kitchen to get a start on breakfast. He passed Angelina's room on his way. Her room had originally been a storage room for his and Fred's discarded experiments but he had thoroughly cleaned it out the day she had come home with him. The flat had three bedrooms. His, Fred's and the spare, but he couldn't bring himself to clean out Fred's yet, so he had given her the spare. The kitchen had undergone a dramatic change in the few short days she had been here as well. There was actually food in the cupboards and pantry along with pots and pans tucked away here and there. He and Fred had survived on takeout and various Muggle frozen dinners Harry had introduced them to. Now with a pregnant woman and unborn baby to feed, George had gone on a food shopping spree. He had taken Ang along and attempted to buy all her favorites, telling her more than once that he had no intention of letting her go hungry while she was under his roof. By letting her pick out most of the food, he had ended up with some rather odd things. Ice cream, pickles, artichokes, chocolate bars, and pineapple juice were just a few of the odd items they had returned home with that day. The ice cream and chocolate he could deal with, everything else was a little too wild, even for him.

"Hey!" Angelina greeted him with a smile as she entered the kitchen. "Sorry about that," she apologized, motioning towards the bathroom. "It's open now."

"Thanks," he replied with a smile.

"So, you are going to help Ron and Verity out?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I've been hiding long enough," he answered. He motioned towards the counter. "I have some sausages and some toast ready. Help yourself." He turned and made his way to the bathroom.

It only took him twenty minutes to shower and change. He re-entered the kitchen to find Angelina devouring the entire plateful of food he had prepared. He smiled to see her feeling better. His hair was still damp from the shower; he had never been one for drying charms, caused his hair to poof out too much. He preferred to let his hair dry naturally.

"George, do you want me to fix you something for lunch later?" she asked when she noticed him behind her.

"No, don't worry about it. I think I'm going to take Ron out for lunch. We haven't had any time to talk in awhile," he answered, touched that she would offer.

"Okay. I may go over to Katie's later this morning. She leaves tomorrow for training and I would like to say good bye and thank you," she told him, handing him what was left of the sausages and toast.

"Thanks," he said with a smile, accepting the plate of food graciously. "Tell her I said good luck," he added before heading to the door that led to the shop.

"Okay, have fun," she waved at him before he disappeared down the stairs.

George made his way down to his shop, food plate in hand. Verity was already there, arranging various items in the front window in hopes of drawing attention to those that did not sell as well. "Hello," he greeted happily, pasting a smile on his face. In truth it was painful to be in the shop with reminders of Fred everywhere he looked, but he was determined to get over this.

"Mr. Weasley! I didn't know you were going to be in today!" she gasped, spinning around to stand face to face with him.

"Please, call me George, how many times do I have to ask?" he reprimanded her good-naturedly.

"Sorry, George," she apologized with a smile.

"Much better."

"Is your brother going to be in as well?" she asked, walking over to the cash register.

"Yes. I thought with all the students getting ready for the school year, we would need the extra hand," he explained, throwing on his work robes.

"I agree," she smiled up at him as the bell over the door tinkled. Verity turned towards it and smiled. "Ron! Come and look who decided to join us today," she called over her shoulder.

"George!" his youngest brother exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, so he's _Ron_ and I'm _Mr. Weasley_?" George commented wryly. Verity blushed. "How are you, little bro?" he asked with a smile.

"Good. Better now that I see you have escaped from your lair," Ron told his older brother.

"Ha!" George barked with laughter. "You sound like Mum."

"Ouch, way to insult a guy."

"Oh, come now, there are worse things I could have said. I could have compared you to Hermione," the older Weasley laughed, then grew quiet when he noticed the dark expression on his younger brother's face. "Sore topic?" he asked.

"Something like that," he mumbled before turning to Verity. "Have you found those extra boxes of Skiving Snackboxes we couldn't find Saturday?" he asked.

"Yeah, they were hidden under the Fake Wands," she told him, eyeing George's confused face.

"Good. I was getting worried. They are such a large seller and all," he continued as if the subject of Hermione had never come up. George just shrugged and made his way behind the counter, content to just watch for a little while until he got reacquainted with the shop. Today was going to be an interesting day, of that he was sure.

Before George knew it, it was lunchtime. Verity offered to watch the shop while he and Ron went to grab a quick bite at the Leaky Cauldron. They quickly grabbed their cloaks and headed off before the shop could become crowded again.

"So, tell me brother, what is the deal with Harry?" George asked as they entered the Leaky Cauldron's quaint bar.

Ron sighed, "He is taking everyone's deaths very hard. You know how he is. He is blaming himself. He keeps telling himself he should have just given himself over to V…Voldemort earlier, he says so many people wouldn't have died if he hadn't been a coward, blah, blah, blah."

George shook his head in disbelief. "He doesn't honestly think that everything that happened was solely his fault, does he? If anyone is to blame, it's the bloody bastard Voldemort," he spoke vehemently.

"Oh, I know that, but Harry always takes these things to heart. He'll come around, eventually."

"So, tell me about Hermione. I thought you two had hit if off," George changed the subject, hoping to surprise an answer out of his younger brother.

Ron's expression darkened again. "I don't want to talk about _her._"

"Come on, it might help to talk about it," he prodded gently.

Ron sighed. "I told her I loved her," he blurted out. "She just stared at me, then told me she was leaving for Australia and wouldn't be back before she had to leave for Hogwarts. I'm an idiot. I thought…I thought she felt, well, _something_ for me. I guess it was just adrenaline and the fact that we might die that made her…" he stopped then and blushed. "Well, I see things clearly now."

George's heart went out to his brother. First loves were always the hardest to get over. He decided to change the subject. "Listen, about Hogwarts, if you want to go back, that's fine with me. I plan on staying in the shop more. I don't want Mum accusing you of giving up your future for me," he offered.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I would rather stay at the shop. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent there. I don't think I really want to be an Auror any more. I've had enough of Dark Wizards to last a lifetime," Ron admitted to his brother.

George smiled. "I knew Fred and I would be a good influence on you! Although I have to admit I was a little worried when you were made Prefect," he whispered, acting as if it were a great secret. Ron just laughed. "We…_I_…would be happy to have you stay and help out at the shop. Just make sure you tell Mum when she is in a very good mood"

"I can do that," his brother told him with a smile.

Just then a movement off to the left caught George's attention. Harry had just walked into the bar, a turquoise haired baby on his hip. "Harry!" he called, catching the raven-haired young man by surprise. Harry's gaze jerked to his and he saw a look of horror come into those emerald eyes. Teddy began to whimper against the boy's shoulder, sensing the change in atmosphere. Harry shushed a little and rubbed circles on the baby's back to comfort him.

"George. How…how have you been," the black haired young man asked awkwardly.

George gave a reassuring smile. "I'm getting better," he told his brother's best friend. "Sit down for a little bit why don't you? I'll buy you a drink," he offered.

"I can't. Teddy's going to need a nap soon. I promised Andromeda that I would grab a couple potions at the apothecary and hurry back. Maybe some other time," he stammered. "Ron, I'll see you Friday, right?" he asked, turning his gaze to the younger Weasley.

"Yeah, sure," Ron answered, wishing Harry would sit and talk. He really thought he would feel better if he heard that he was not to blame from George's own lips, but that would have to wait for another day.

The two Weasleys watched Harry and Teddy rush out through the back of the bar. George sighed. _Maybe next time,_ he thought to himself. He turned back to his brother. "Mum said everyone was suppose to come to dinner Wednesday. Ginny's going back to Hogwarts Thursday so we are all suppose to come say good-bye. Do you think she would mind if I tried to get Harry to come?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? Mum and Ginny would be thrilled if you could talk him into coming," Ron told his brother. George just nodded. He decided he would floo over to Andromeda's and physically drag the stubborn man to the Burrow if he had to, anything to make his mum and sister smile again. If he couldn't hide, neither could Harry.

The two boys finished their meals and walked back to the shop. Verity smiled when they entered. "Good lunch?" she asked.

"Excellent. You can take your break now if you want. We'll watch the shop," George told her.

"Thanks. I brought my lunch so I'll just crash in the back for awhile," she replied with a smile. George watched as she made her way to the back room, smiling shyly at Ron on the way. He smirked. Well, well, well, it looked like little Ronniekins had an admirer. He could hear Fred laugh in the back of his mind. _Ronnie and Verity sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, _his brother's voice sang in his mind. George laughed. _Yeah, right,_ he thought before walking over to the counter to straighten the barrels of Fake Wands.

Angelina sat her book down on the side table next to the couch. She had been tired this morning so she had spent most of it lying on the sofa, reading an old favorite of hers. It wasn't until her stomach gave a loud growl that she realized she had missed lunch. Deciding she was too hungry to take the time to cook something, she got up and headed for the door. She would just grab a bite at the sandwich shop next door. Slipping on her cloak, she opened the door and started down the stairs. She made it down two stairs when she knew something was wrong. The world had started to teeter dangerously and her next step missed the stair entirely. She felt everything slow as up became down. She felt her elbow contact with the floor as a stair ground into her back. From somewhere down below she heard George call out her name. It felt like she was falling forever when she finally came to land in a heap at the foot of the stairs. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was George's pale worried face.

A/N: I found that I was confusing people with the whole Hermione waiting three and a half months to go get her parents. She didn't wait that long. The conversation between Ron and Hermione happened a couple months ago, I just couldn't get that into the convo here without making it too choppy. It will come up later, and don't worry, I don't plan on splitting them up permanently. So, click that button!! Thank you!


	5. Author's Note

Author's Note

HI all, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am not abandoning my stories. I have just gone through the pregnancy from hell. I went on bedrest at around four months, was in preterm labor by five months and was able to hold off the inevitable until 34 weeks, in which my darling daughter graced us with her presence. She then spent time in the NICU before finally coming home. Now she is nearly four months old and I am finally finding time to write again. I am hoping to get some more chapters up within the next week or so, so keep your eyes open! Thank you for your patience and may I suggest refreshing your memory on the stories if you continue to read them? Even I had to do that and I'm the author! lol. Hope to hear from you soon!

~Connie


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